Irene Lake vs Lobster Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lobster Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Irene Lake. Both are in Douglas County, Minnesota.
Irene Lake and Lobster Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. The readings are close: Irene Lake and Lobster Lake sit within a narrow band of each other on phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and clarity. The per-parameter table below shows where the small differences actually live.
With readings this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Irene Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.8 ft.
Lobster Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 13 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Irene Lake | Lobster Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 9.8 ft | 13 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 24 µg/L | 20.5 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 7.4 µg/L | 3.6 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 44 ft | 65 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 639 acres | 1,334 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 16 | 18 Better |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
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Verdict
Lobster Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Irene Lake. Water clarity: 13 ft vs 9.8 ft. For fishing diversity, Lobster Lake also leads with 18 species.
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Where to stay near Irene Lake and Lobster Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.